The present invention relates to a system for reproducing a disc.
A disc reproducing system having an automatic disc changer has recently become popular. The disc reproducing system is provided with a rack wherein a large number of CDs are stored so as to improve the storing efficiency of the CDs.
FIG. 24 is a perspective view of such a reproducing system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open 9-223351 which has been filed by the present patent applicant.
FIGS. 25 and 26 show another reproducing system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open 59-104759.
The system of FIG. 24 will be described firstly. A disc reproducing system is provided with a roulette device 3 mounted on a chassis base 2 in a housing. The housing comprises the chassis base 2, casing 8, rear panel 9 and the front operation panel 10. The roulette device 3 comprises a base 3a, rack base 3b having a spindle 3c and a center pole 5 mounted on the spindle 3c, and five rotary circular racks 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d and 4e, each having a center hole 4 in which the center pole 5 is engaged. Hence, all of the racks 4a to 4e are securely mounted on the center pole 5 in a tiered formation.
In each of the racks 4a to 4e, there is formed radial slits 40 in each of which a recording medium D such as CD can be stored. A radial recess 41 through which a disc player 7 provided adjacent the racks 4a to 4e passes is further formed in each of the racks 4a to 4e at a predetermined circumferential position. In the player 7, an arm 7a is provided for taking out one of recording mediums D. The arm 7a is operated by a driving device (not shown) upon loading and ejecting of the recording mediums D into and out of the disc player 7 thereby passing through one of the slits 40 of the rack from the underneath thereof.
The front operation panel 10 is provided with an opening 10a through which the recording mediums D is inserted and taken out. The opening 10a is covered by a door 6 having a pin 6a projected downward from the top. The pin 6a engaged with the upper end of the center pole 5 so that the door 6 is rotatably mounted thereon. The door 6 is rotated on the pole 5 in the counterclockwise direction to disclose the racks 4a to 4e through the opening 10a. 
On the underside of the rack 4a, an encoder (not shown) and photo sensors are provided for detecting position of a desired recording mediums on one of the racks 4a to 4e. 
When a select button on the operation panel 10 is operated to select a desired recording mediums, the racks 4a to 4e are rotated and stored at an angular position where the desired recording medium is stored. The disc player 7 is vertically moved to the position of one of racks where the recording medium is stored. The arm 7a takes out the recording medium and loads it on the disc player 7, thereby reproducing the recording medium.
Referring to FIGS. 25 and 26, an annular storing base 12 is rotatably provided in a frame 11 and rotated by a rotating device 13. On the storing base 12, a plurality of recording mediums D are stored. An information reading and writing device 15 and an arm driving device 17 for driving an arm 16 are mounted on a holding base 14. A guide 15a is provided for guiding the recording medium D. An opening 18 is formed for inserting the recording medium D. The arm 16 has pawls 16a and is driven by a screw 19.
When a desired recording medium D is selected, the storing base 12 is rotated so that the selected recording medium is positioned at the opening 18 of the information reading and writing device 15. Then, the arm 16 is moved in the direction X by the arm driving device 17, and inserts the recording medium D into the device 15. The recording medium D is located at a position d shown by dotted lines. At the position, the information is read and written.
Thereafter, the information reading and writing device 15 moves the recording medium D to a position where a part of recording medium D is projected from the opening 18.
A detector (not shown) mounted on the arm 16 detects whether the recording medium D contacts with the arm 16 or not. If contacts, the pawls 16a are moved in the direction Y in FIG. 27 by solenoids (not shown) to grip the recording medium D. If does not contact, the arm 16 is moved in the direction X until contacts. Then, the arm 16 is moved in the direction Xxe2x80x2 so that the recording medium D is returned to the storing base 12, and hence the sequential operation is completed.
In the former reproducing system, in order to increase the storing quantity of the recording medium D on the racks 4a to 4e, the number of the racks must be increased, or the diameter of each rack must be increased. However either of the methods increases the system in size which renders the manufacturing cost to be increased.
In addition, when the arm 7a of the player 7 loads and unloads the recording medium D, the arm 7a may slide on the adjacent recording medium D, which causes the recording surface of the medium to be damaged.
In the case of the increasing of storing density of the medium, the problem of damaging adjacent medium D further increases.
In the latter reproducing system, in order to increase the storing quantity of the recording medium D, the diameter of the storing base 12 must be increased. However, such an improvement increases the system in size, which accompanies by increasing of the manufacturing cost.
Furthermore, when the arm 16 of the arm driving device 17 inserts a medium D in the opening 18, the arm 16 slides on the adjacent medium D, thereby damaging the recording surface of the adjacent disc D.
In addition, in the system, the pawls 16a grip the disc, when returning. However, there is a problem that the pawls may damage recording surfaces of the returned disc and on adjacent disc.
An object of the present invention is to provide a system for reproducing recording mediums which may exactly carry a desired recording medium to a disc storing means.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium reproducing system which is improved to increase the storing efficiency without increasing the size of the system.
According to the present invention, there is provided a system for reproducing a disc comprising, a disc holder having a plurality of partition plates for holding a plurality of discs in an upright position, a reproducing device for reproducing a desired disc, carrying means for carrying the desired disc between the disc holder and the reproducing device, wherein the partition plates are arranged in non-parallel, so that the space between opposite partition plates has a large width portion and a small width portion, and the carrying means is provided for returning the desired the disc to disc holder from the large width portion.
The partition plates are annularly arranged so that the partition plates are radially arranged.
The reproducing device is disposed in a central portion in the annularly arranged partition plates.
In another aspect of the present invention, the carrying means has a guide portion inserted in a space between discs at opposite sides of the desired disc during the operation of the system.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.